SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — As racing looks to the future in New York state, trainer Rick Violette sees a few years where Saratoga Race Course could be open for two or three months.

While further expansion of the 40-day Saratoga season is an annual topic, Violette predicted Tuesday that a longer upstate meet would be needed if Aqueduct Racetrack is closed to allow for the expansion of the Genting-run casino on the property, now owned by New York State. Speaking on the panel “The Newest NYRA and the Future,” at Albany Law School’s Saratoga Institute on Equine Racing and Gaming, Violette said Belmont Park would likely not be available while it is being transformed into a year-round facility.

I can only speak for 1974 to the present, but there have NEVER been two dark days any week up here ( unless there was a weather cancellation, of which there have been very few ). In fact, there was a year in the early 80s ( somewhere between 1981 and 1983 ) where they raced 27 straight days with NO dark days the entire meet. There had been a ton of cancellations during the Winter and that was one crazy way they tried to make it up.

thinair wrote:I can only speak for 1974 to the present, but there have NEVER been two dark days any week up here ( unless there was a weather cancellation, of which there have been very few ). In fact, there was a year in the early 80s ( somewhere between 1981 and 1983 ) where they raced 27 straight days with NO dark days the entire meet. There had been a ton of cancellations during the Winter and that was one crazy way they tried to make it up.

i feel like i haven't seen you in ages.

there has already been a 3 horse graded stakes event, not sure why they're expanding, but. good luck to them if they do.

Airplanes are actually much, much safer than trains and cars when it comes to flying.